


Staring at the Waves (But I Don't Want to Drown Again)

by penspxrks



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: (maybe), Clexa is Endgame, F/F, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Slow Burn, lets go clexas lets go, okay clowns are you ready, this is in honor of all the people clowning it up for 607
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 10:11:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19271116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penspxrks/pseuds/penspxrks
Summary: Lexa Woods, star shortstop since freshman year, all-around bad-ass to the public eye, high school record breaker, and America's most wanted in college baseball.Clarke Griffin, star pitcher since freshman year, overall good person, high school record breaker, and America's most wanted in college softball.The two have only seen each other in passing, through the crowds at Arkadia High. Lexa stayed with her friend group, and Clarke stayed with hers. The two have no real reason to interact other than Raven Reyes (Clarke's best friend) and Anya Forester (Lexa's cousin) are dating. When time starts playing in their favor, the most popular girl in the school and one of the kindest will undoubtedly become very charmed by one another.-Or the one where Lexa's family is rich and she plays a male-dominated sport except Clarke is also athletic. Also, Raven Reyes is the catcher you never knew you needed.





	Staring at the Waves (But I Don't Want to Drown Again)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey clowns! In honor of tonight's episode, 6x07, I'm posting the new Clexa fic I've been working on!! 
> 
> I know I already have two others in the works but I just couldn't help it, athletic Lexa owns my soul. 
> 
> Join the Klownkru, y'all. Hope you enjoy!

The spikes of her cleats hit the field’s dirt as she slowly stepped onto it, letting the sensational feeling course through her. She had known this field fence to fence since she was eight years old, and she immediately deemed it as her second home. The park around her had been empty, hardly anyone out in the steady summer heat. The local leagues didn’t practice until later in the evening, and she planned to make the most of her time. 

The field looked untouched, and it had been - she guessed - for several weeks at the most. Select ball hadn’t been playing, the teams only now starting to find players and hold tryouts. The field had always been a second home to her - her muscles immediately brought her here when she was angry or sad, as if they were on autopilot. She wanted to take in the field as much as she could before leaving for college the following summer. 

Senior year crept up on her, and as much as she wanted to be done with high school, she could not help but feel a bit scared the closer the school year came to starting. Though if she told that to anyone, they may have laughed in her face and told her that her jokes need some help. 

Lexa Woods, star shortstop since freshman year, all-around badass to the public eye, breaker of high school records and batting averages, scared of the upcoming school year? 

That would surely get all of her teammates laughing. 

Lexa shook her head, keeping her demeanor arrogant, icy, sarcastic, and any other word to describe a high schooler with too much fame, would be the best decision. Her only confidants would be Lincoln and Anya, her brother and her cousin, though Anya really was more of a sister to her. Of course, Lexa would talk about other things with Aden, her youngest brother by adoption - though the brunette had not once thought anything different of him. She stood up for him, and made sure Anya and Lincoln did too. 

With her parents gone as often as they were, Lexa felt a bigger weight on her shoulders. An anchor pulling her to the sea floor. Aden seemed to be the only thing holding her up right now, the dull light shining through the monstrous ocean waves. Though her family had money, fame, and years of partnerships and fancy dinners under their belts, Lexa still felt it her responsibility to look after her brothers and cousin. 

Lincoln had taken on the role as the selfless older brother that year, and stayed behind one year to watch over his younger siblings. He would be graduating with Anya and Lexa in May, and Lexa couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Aden here alone. 

As she swung the bat, hitting the ball on the sweet spot of the bat and watching it soar over the centerfield fence, she remembered how she felt the first time she hit the ball over the fence. 

Her teammate’s abilities had been nothing compared to hers, and they were nowhere near the best team in the league, but they had fight and good spirit - that was all that mattered at the time. 

The last game of the season hadn’t gone as swimmingly as they would have hoped - the boys on the other team throwing fits when she would get them out or taunting her when she got on base. They hadn’t known that the hatred and fits of doubt were what fueled her - made her more determined. She had only been twelve at the time, but the feeling of planning her sweet revenge after a runner had so clearly ran into her as she went to get the ground ball made her eyes narrow and a small, mischievous smile creep onto her lips. 

She had only been up to bat three times that game, but every time she had gotten on base, nothing ever short of a double. Every time she would hit it in a hole into the outfield, and though the other team put their three fastest boys out there, she would get to second base without any trouble. Sometimes she would slide - just for show. The cheers of the parents had brought her back into reality, the boy in front of her, Charlie, had just put a bunt down. Charlie had been an exceptional player, definitely better than some of the other people on the team. He was honest, and his Justin Bieber-like haircut and icy blue eyes made all of the girls at school swoon. Lexa had never understood it, but she just assumed he wasn’t her type. He had been the only boy on the team that hadn’t belittled Lexa though, except for the two less athletic boys, Noah and Nyko. Three out of ten boys that were nice to her and saw her skill. 

All was about to change. 

As twelve year-old Lexa stepped into the right-hand batter’s box, she felt a surge of power coarse through her. Her hands wrapped around the grip of her bat, fitting perfectly against the tape. Her batting gloves had never felt more perfect. The release of her deep breath and the smallest mutter of, “You got this,” must have been heard by the catcher, Lexa being able to hear a small snort from behind her. She saw the pitcher nod at the signal, though she stared him dead in the eye before he pitched the small ball. She sensed - she saw - fear, deep beneath his brown eyes, masked with an insane amount of focus. 

The glove of the pitcher left his face covered as he tried to find his grip on the ball. The only thing not covered were his eyes. A smug smile crossed Lexa’s face as the pitcher’s eye connected with her own. The fear still resided beneath his focused facade, and she was glad she instilled that into him. 

The ball left his glove, his arm bending back and coming forward at a good speed. Lexa analyzed the pitch quickly. Low change-up to on the outside corner. Too low and too outside. She stepped back, out of the box, just a second after the umpire called a ball. The first pitch and she already commanded the batter’s box. All she did was intimidate a boy a year or so older than her. Lexa stepped back into the batter’s box, glaring at the pitcher once more, analyzing the pitch again. It came off his hand to soon. High down the middle. Across Lexa’s forehead. This time she stepped out nearly as soon as the ball came in contact with the catcher’s glove. Two and ‘O’ count, one person on base. She became relaxed, willed herself to keep doing what she was doing, told herself that she could do it. She had forgotten about Lincoln and Anya up in the stands, but she knew they’d be proud of her no matter what. 

Her focus returned to the pitcher, glaring him down, almost daring him to throw a strike. The ball left his hand and Lexa analyzed it once again. Good release point, good spin, good speed. Coming in right where Lexa liked it - over the plate and down the middle. 

She loaded up, putting her weight on her right leg as her hands came back and then down to meet the small, dirt-ridden, red-laced ball. The sweet spot of her bat hummed with a satisfying “clink” and a feeling that can only be described as phenomenal by anyone who has felt it. 

It felt… right. 

Instead of running - like she should have been - she stayed in the batter’s box, her finishing position with her left leg out straight and her right leg bent, her bat crossed over to her left shoulder, and she watched. Lexa watched as the ball flew over the centerfielder’s head and right over the fence into the playground that had recently been built behind their fields. 

Her grin had been the brightest thing in the world in that moment, and she couldn’t help throw the catcher and pitcher a smug wink as she jogged around the bases. The cheers from their side of the stands felt amazing, and Lexa felt like she could accomplish anything she wanted. She rounded third and prepared herself for her teammates clapping on her helmet. 

The lost the game that day, but the opposing team (and some of her team) learned an important lesson. 

Don’t underestimate the underestimated. 

Now, six years later and Lexa became one of the most wanted athletes in America for all of the D-One schools. She still hadn’t committed, though she would by the end of baseball season this school year. 

She loaded another ball up onto the worn tee, getting into her stance and swinging again, this time working on her placement. She hadn’t the footsteps approaching, or the noise the gate made when opened, only the sound of her bat against the ball. 

“Lexa Woods, coming to the pony fields to practice. Interesting. Never in a million years would this be a sight I thought I’d see,” she felt the playful smirk in the girl’s voice, undoubtedly none other than the only person outside of her family that knew she practiced here. 

“Raven Reyes,” Lexa smiled, turning around, dropping her bat and went over to give the brunette a handshake. 

“Oh come on Woods, I’ve been dating your cousin for a year now, don’t you think we’re past the formal handshake stuff. Move on to a hug?” 

Before Lexa could respond, Raven had already pulled her into a hug, “See? Isn’t that better?” 

“Sure, Raven, whatever you say.” They both pulled away from the hug. 

“So, how’ve you been? Working hard, I see,” Raven nodded towards the tee, bat, and bucket of balls. 

“Yeah, been trying to work on placement a little more, nothing big,” Lexa shrugged it off. 

“Lexa Woods, America’s most wanted, the Queen of Placement, trying to work on placement? What has the world come to?” Raven dramatically put the back of her palm on her forehead and bent her knees to imitate a person fainting. 

“Whatever Miss “I’m The Second Most Wanted Catcher in America”. Give yourself some more credit, Rae,” Lexa nudged her a little bit. 

“Yeah, but that’s not nearly as cool as what you’ve done, and besides, I’m a softball player, remember?” 

“Still.” 

“Alright, well, I guess if the great Lexa Woods herself is telling me I should be excited about something, then I’ll be excited about it,” Raven rolled her eyes with a smile. “Anyway, since I’m here, do you wanna throw or anything?”

“Yeah, we can. I haven’t thrown in a week or so. I probably need the practice,” Lexa laughed. 

“Can’t get Anya out here with you?” the latina asked, rummaging through her bag of equipment to find her infielder’s glove. 

“You know she quit two years ago and decided to solely focus on soccer. I don’t think her arm is what it used to be,” the brunette went over and moved the tee, her bat, and the bucket of balls off to the side. 

“True that my friend, true that,” Raven grinned as she found the right glove and grabbed it out of her bag, her helmet and some of her catcher’s gear going along with it. She’d get it later. She jogged the ten feet towards Lexa, who stood at home plate, “Alright Commander, we got an hour.”

“Sounds good to me, Rae. Wanna throw a baseball or a softball?” She looked through her bucket, which consisted of mostly baseballs and about two softballs. 

“We can throw a baseball. Smaller bruise,” Raven winked. 

“Whatever, smartass,” Lexa scoffed and picked up a baseball. She walked about five feet away from Raven and they started throwing lightly. 

They continued on for about fifteen minutes, their throws getting harder and longer, each one of them playfully attempting to outdo the other. Their competitiveness towards each other made for playful banter, and Lexa was glad Raven saw past the icy exterior she used at school. 

Anya got annoyed easily, to say the least. 

“Hey can we practice a few catching drills? The pitches just get faster and faster every year. I don’t know how she does it, but Griff’s gonna give me a run for my money.” The latina tossed off her glove - towards the general vicinity of her bag - and exchanged it for her catcher’s mitt. 

“Yeah, sure. She’s really gotten that much faster, huh?” 

“Well, I’ve only just practiced with her the other day, but holy shit. I gotta say she’s gone from a seventy to a seventy-six.” She made her way back over behind the plate. 

“Just over the summer?” Lexa raised an eyebrow, “That’s pretty impressive.” 

“Hell yeah. Damn right it is! Griff’s the most wanted for college softball in pitching, I guarantee you that. Girl’s got a hella fast arm. Her placement is amazing. She rarely ever misses a pitch. She won’t leave the field unless she’s injured or dead, I know from experience.” Raven’s face contorted, a flashback of their very last 14U softball game, one she did not want to remember. 

“She’s got spirit, I’ll give her that,” Lexa joked. 

“Almost a little too much at times. She’s my best friend though, can’t live without her,” Raven shrugged and grinned. 

Lexa gestured for Raven to stand behind home and wait while she got the two softballs out of the bucket, “Why haven’t I ever met her?” 

Lexa thought for a moment. Raven seemed to be at her house most of the time, hanging out with Anya, but she sat with her friends at lunch during the school year. Lexa knew who Raven was referring too, of course. Clarke Griffin had broken multiple school records herself, but she didn’t parade around the school as Lexa did, playing the role of jock and ‘commanding’ the halls. No, Clarke Griffin was far kinder than Lexa. Though, it irks the teenager they had only ever seen each other in passing. 

Raven shrugged as she got into her squatting position, “You both are busy when the other is around. Kind of weird, the way it works, but you’ll meet her eventually.” 

“I’ll take your word for it, Reyes.” Lexa started throwing the ball towards Raven erratically, making her jump and dive outwards, or stop a speedy ground ball. 

“Well, I practically live with her,” Raven joked. She did, in fact, have her own house with her mother, but she had always felt more at home at the Griffin’s house. Her and Clarke had been best friends since the second grade, and Abby Griffin had always been there for her when her own mother couldn’t be. 

“What? Inviting us to Thanksgiving already?” the brunette laughed and threw another ball towards Raven. 

“Very funny, Woods. Though, I’m sure Mama G wouldn’t be opposed to it. Her turkey? Delicious. Cranberry sauce? To die for. Stuffing? Out of this fucking world. Mashed potatoes? I would fight someone for the last bite,” Raven dove towards another ball to her right side. 

“You speak very highly of this Mama G.”

“She practically raised me, Woods.” 

“I’ll be sure to tell her how much of a smartass she raised when I meet her, then.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Raven playfully lobbed a softball back at Lexa. “Want me to hit some grounders to you? I need to start doing more leg workouts, my god.” 

“Sure,” Lexa jogged over to shortstop and quickly scooped up a handful of dirt, letting it run between her fingertips. She watched as Raven grabbed the bat and a baseball, tossed it up, and swung. 

She didn’t really feel like diving today, so she back-handed the first ball, barely scooping it up. She snow coned it. Raven hit her at least a dozen more ground balls before moving on to pop-ups and line drives. 

“Alright, Woods. We’re gonna see how great you really are!” The latina had a mischievous smile on her face, and Lexa didn’t like where this was going. 

Raven threw the small ball up, and hit it - Lexa swears - as hard as she could. The ball traveled up and back, towards deep centerfield. Lexa was fast, but she didn’t know if she was that fast. She did know, however, if she didn’t get this ball, then Raven would tease her about it everyday until the beginning of the school year. 

Lexa drop stepped, ran back to centerfield, and turned to watch the ball - which was still in the air - to see where it would come down. Just before Lexa got her glove ready, a horn blared from the parking lot to the right of the fields. Lexa looked in that direction, being met only with a black Ford truck that had the driver’s side window rolled down, a glimpse of blonde hair that carried itself a little past shoulder length, and a jawline that Lexa was almost sure could cut anyone that stared at it too long. 

Lexa hadn’t noticed the ball coming towards her, she had completely forgotten about it as she had begun staring at - who she assumed to be - Raven’s ride. 

It had already been too late when Raven turned from giving Clarke a quick, “Be there in a minute!” to yelling, “Lexa!” 

The brunette had only just moved her eyes towards the ball, which came down a lot quicker than Lexa had originally thought. By then, moving her glove to block the ball or stepping out of the way wouldn’t work, and she realized the longer she thought about it, the longer she stood in the ball’s wa-

Definitely going to leave a bruise. 

The ball landed on the top of her head, and Lexa caught it as it bounced off. This was way worse than Raven teasing her about letting a ball drop. She would never, ever live this one down and she knew it. 

“Woods! You okay?” Raven started to jog towards her, but Lexa motioned for her to stop. 

“I’m good, still caught it!” She yelled across the field before throwing the ball in. Raven scooped it up and put it in the bucket. She ran back in and tossed her glove over to the side. 

“You need help with anything?” Raven asked, zipping up her own bag and picking it up, “Mama G is making tacos for lunch, and oh man, I love her tacos.” 

“Nah, I’m fine,” Lexa shook her head and grabbed her water bottle, taking a sip from it and putting it back down. 

Raven couldn’t help but laugh just a little. 

“What is it, Reyes?” Lexa raised an eyebrow. 

“You’re just really fucking gay, huh?” She teased, playfully punching Lexa in the arm. 

“The gayest,” Lexa winked, dropping the playful smirk she had as soon as she glanced towards the blonde in the truck, and though she had only ever seen her in passing, the moment they locked eyes it seemed as if the entire world stopped, and they were the only two who existed. 

The brunette had never liked the color blue more than she had in that moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This was just a little bit of a light chapter, not very much Clexa interaction yet, but I promise there will be soon! Anyway, please give me some feedback! Feel free to do it here or on tumblr! 
> 
> Tumblr: hedas-sonraun  
> Twitter: clumsymomfriend
> 
> Thanks again!!


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